Companions of the Night: Legend of Shadow Goddess
by ashehole
Summary: C!BOOK 2. For three months, Marquette has been half dead in the world of Tartarus. Only when a guide named Aestroth comes to fetch her does she escape, with a special script in hand. But she is not returned to her sisters, but the Sons of the Dark.
1. Prologue

_The Shadow Goddess whispered the names of the Dead for protection. Her breathing came out in loud, harsh pants as she struggled to draw in breath. They were coming for her. She knew she had to finish the spell to save the future on, the last Daughter of Anubis. The Daughter would be the only one to master the sacred art of necromancy. Unless the Goddess failed to finish._

_She could smell the Necroses. It was an awful, putrid stench that could kill a normal mortal in an instant. Time was running out._

_"My Lord, Anubis, please buy me some time! I'm almost finished," she cried out._

_She dipped her reed into the growing pile of her blood again. She brought it down on the papyrus paper, her fingers moving quickly as she wrote down the spell to destroy the Necrosis, her creation. They would feed on souls of others until destroyed, and only the Shadow God and Goddess could destroy them._

_Her lip trembled at the thought of the Shadow God, now one of the Dead. Had he not been so foolish, he wouldn't have had to be killed. If they both had known the danger of their magic, they wouldn't have created the Necrosis!_

_The Necroses scratched at the door behind her. Any second now, and they would have her. She added her name and the Shadow God's name to the paper. They were now the Dead, along with the original Shadow God and Goddess Ezraziel and Rammelet._

_She concealed the script with her spirit mists and had it hidden away. She turned as the Necroses burst inside of the room and devoured her soul._


	2. Tartarus

Aestroth shivered from the sheer chill of Tartarus. It was just like those stupid Greeks to turn something into such a _hell_, but then he remembere the Judgement Hall and Ammet and what happened if a soul was so utterly _unworthy_ of being graced with everlasting life. With a scowl, he turned his thoughts over to how long it had taken Hades to grant him permission to go into his realm and retrieve Marquette. He couldn't tell who was more angry over the ordeal: Selene, Anubis, or Akhet.

But it was Akhet's wrath he feared the most, and the one he would never want to face again. After all, if your mate sacrificed your life...

He drew his cloak closer around him. He could only imagine the horrors Marquette had seen over the past three months. _The poor girl._

Aestroth looked at Hades. "How much longer until we find her?"

"She's around here," the god replied with a laugh, obviously uncaring of the whole ordeal.

He grumbled. _Somewhere._ That was great. How annoying Hades was. Just like all the other death and Underworld gods, he just had to have a poor sense of humor.

Aestroth wished he could shut off his ears from the painful sounds of the tortured souls of the dead. He had dealt with the dead in life, and was the Dead himself now, but this was awful. Especially to keep a live soul with necromancy in here. Hell, Marquette was also a Greek goddess. _You'd think she'd be in the Elusion Fields, at least_, he thought.

Hades stopped and turned. "You'll find her here."

"Where?"

"You are an annoying one. Anubis should have come himself. Find the girl and leave." With that and a sweep of robes, Hades faded away to his drab throne and somber queen.

Aestroth muttered a curse at the god and turned to find the girl on his own now. If he thought the other areas of Tartarus were awful, this area was the equivalent of the slums. Souls shrieked in his ears, wanting to cling desperately. He followed the thick shadow hazes around a bend. If they were trying to cling to him, this thick mess had to lead to the girl.

A limp, pale body lay propped up against the cold stone wall. Her hair seemed to be a little longer, and a lot less colorful. As he stepped closer to her, he could see that it had turned entirely white, the shock of death scarring her. Her dress was basically a rag now, dirty and tattered and barely covering her. Glitter and make up were smeared across her face and body.

He whispered a single word and the souls fled from her body, shivering and moaning in fright. As he moved closer, he noticed how her body shivered as well. He removed his cloak and wrapped it around her. She moaned and cried out. He pet her tangled and matted hair softly before gathering her in his arms and picking her up. She protested and fought back, barely and with no conviction. For all plausible accounts, she was _dead_.

"Easy, Marquette. I'm here to take you home."

Her eyelids fluttered, and she tried to lick her lips to no avail. "Asheru?"

"All in good time. First, we need to get out of here."

She collapsed against him, unconscious. He seriously hoped she would not be permanently damaged by this. Last thing they needed was a deranged Daughter.

Another one, that is. Oh, how the past seems to always repeat itself.

He turned and walked back the way he came in. The sooner she was out of here, the better.


	3. Resurfacing

**AN: Legend of Shadow Goddess takes place after the 12th DotM and the 2nd SotD.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Daughters of the Moon, or Sons of the Dark. I do, however, own Marquette, Aestroth, and Akhet, their whole connections, and the Children of Anubis, otherwise known as the Shadow God/dess.**

Aestroth cradled Marquette close to him, wary of the sun's rays on her pale skin. The girl cringed, but did not waken. Fear of the possibility that she never would gripped him. He tried to hide her delicate skin under his cloak as much as possible, amazed that she didn't cry and scream from pain. After all, she had been in the darkest place imaginable for a very long time. But then... She had trouble keeping her eyes open... Running didn't seem like much of an option.

Finally inside, he propped her up against a wall, leaving her curled up on the floor. He turned to face the door, his god face ready, his voice booming.

"Open up, Renegades! I know you're home," Aestroth called out. "If you do not open this door, then this girl will die!"

The door opened in a flash, and the one with blonde hair stepped out. Obie, his name was. The other three--Kyle, Samuel, and Berto--quickly stepped up behind their friend, ready to fight as well. Aestroth laughed in their faces and bent to pick Marquette up.

"Marquette!" Kyle exclaimed, instantly recognizing the missing face. "What did you do to her?"

_As if Aestroth had anything to do with her condition._

Obie looked at Kyle. "Who is she?"

"She's a goddess, a friend of the girl I told you about. She was basically flung into Tartarus three months ago," Kyle said, his voice faltering. He remembered the pain Catty had felt when Marquette had disappeared. What all the girls had gone through when she never came back.

"I went down there and saved her, Kyle. Could my lord go and deal with Hades? Of course not. He sent the screw up," Aestroth barked bitterly. He picked the girl up again and pushed past the four, bringing Marquette inside. "You would think he'd care just a little bit more about his remaining Daughter. Then again, he must think that this is a way to prove myself."

Berto looked curiously at Aestroth. "What, are you a god, or _servus_?"

He turned and gave Berto a disgusted look, wrinkling his nose. "A _servus_?! I am a Shadow God, one of the Dead!"

Kyle opened his mouth to say something when Marquette moaned, her voice a mere scratchy whisper. Aestroth sat in a chair, still cradling her to his chest as if she were a child. He looked down into her pale, glitter-streaked face.

Her eyes opened slightly, the gray suddenly darker than he remembered. "Water."

He looked at the Sons until Samuel ran into the kitchen for a glass of water. Marquette tried to sit up, only to collapse miserably against him, limbs failing her.

"Marquette, quit struggling. You are too weak right now. You'll end up killing yourself if you try to do it again."

She growled as she looked up at the god, and began to focus her energy, feeling the limbs of an agile cat, the twitch of a tail, the flicker of whiskers. Aestroth sighed and placed a finger on her forehead, stopping the shift before she did some permanent damage to herself.

"Put _me_ down. Not…a child…" Her voice was dull and scratchy, and it brought tears to her eyes to talk at all.

Aestroth moved out from under her, leaving her alone in the chair. Kyle moved forward, taking the glass from Samuel and placing it to her lips. She opened her mouth and chugged the water. It felt so good in her mouth and down her throat when nothing else had passed her lips in so long. She licked her dry, cracked lips and forced her eyes to focus on Kyle.

"Ash?" She asked him, hoping he knew and had news. She couldn't make herself speak anymore than his name for now.

A pained look crossed Kyle's face. His news was not good, that was for sure. He ran a hand through his short, spiky hair. Even before he spoke, she knew, her breathing becoming slightly erratic. "Serene took him. Back to Nefandus."

Marquette shut down. She couldn't breathe or move. It took a matter of seconds. She stilled so shockingly, she might have been dead. And then, she screamed. She screamed a pitch higher than she ever could achieve before, her frustrations and pain and fear leaking from her soul and out her mouth, assualting the ears around her.

_He was _**GONE**.


	4. The Sons Adopt a Goddess

Marquette's fingers dug angrily into the arm of the chair as she forced herself to move, no matter how painful it was. She locked eyes with Aestroth fiercely, venting all her anger out at him.

"No! NO! I promised him! I promised him that they wouldn't take him again," she sobbed.

Her body shook violently with her dry sobs as she wrapped her arms around her pale, thin body. Aestroth glared at Kyle for his honesty.

"Smart move, son. Now look at her. If she dies, then everything anyone tries will fail. That includes your cause, the Daughters', and ours."

Berto stepped forward. "What do you know of our cause, and why will we fail if she dies?"

"You really know nothing. Akhet should have done this. I have no patience." His scowl deepened at Marquette's infuriating wails. "Marquette, quiet!"

"Who in hell do you think you are, Aestroth?!" She lifted her head in anger, her eyes fully open and burning with rage. She wasn't shcoked to know his name; it just came with an awareness she hadn't known existed within her.

She growled at him, her amulets knocking against each other. Aestroth took a step back. She threw his cloak at him--it fell miserably two inches away from her--, not wanting his help. "You should have left me down there! I'll never get him back! I don't want this life!" She pulled her moon amulet and ankh off, throwing them at the wall, where they clanged against one another, falling in a heap on the floor.

Obie and Samuel took a step closer to each other. It reminded Samuel of this saying, _'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'_ And the white-haired girl called Marquette had a lot of scorn, it seemed.

Berto was the one to cross the room, picking up her amulets. "You do want this life; you can't hide who you are."

She looked into his face, the tears slipping down her cheeks softly. Her body shook from weakness and anger and cold. "You just…don't get it." She sat down in the chair, trying to catch her breath. She thought she was going to die. _Better to die than to face life without Ash_, she thought. She gasped and leaned over, puking up the water. Her head felt so heavy…Just a little nap…

Her eyes closed suddenly, and she fell limp over the chair's arm, passed out cold.

Aestroth sighed. "Kyle, do you have a place where she could sleep? I must speak with you four, and she needs a comfortable place to lie."

"Who's going to watch her?" Obie asked.

"She'll be fine. for now. A place?"

Kyle scooped up Marquette and walked away with her. Berto kept her amulets, turning them over in his hand as he examined them curiously.

"Aestroth. That is your name, right?" Kyle inquired when he returned. The god nodded curtly. "Why did you bring Marquette to us, and not to the Daughters, to Kearney for that matter?"

The Shadow God tapped his handsome face. "You see, there is more in the world than the Atrox, than Nefandus. Would you boys like to hear a story?"

"Stop with that 'boy' shit!" Obie exclaimed.

Aestroth laughed. "Oh, little rock son. Easy. I have been around for so long, that you're great-great-great grandparents would be considered young to me. Now, for what I have to say.

"I was once a Son of Anubis, a Shadow God. I was also quite reckless. My ill responsibility techniques worsened when I found my Shadow Goddess. I was a spoiled prince. Akhet was a rebel, an outcast among her own family. She was a Daughter of Anubis, and a damn fine necromancer."

"Does this story have a point, Aestroth?" Kyle's patience was running thin. What had any of this to do with Marquette or them?

"All stories have points. You just have to find them.

"The Children of Anubis are strange. When a Daughter or a Son is born after the previous two are Dead, it is easy for them to find each other. They are attracted to one another, magnetic, destined. If one dies, the other has a choice of death, or find another. Only, it's harder to find your mate the second time around.

"But now, because of myself and Akhet, the Shadow Ones have a new purpose. We fooled with our magic and tried to bring the dead back to life. We succeeded, bu—"

"You know how to bring the dead back?" Samuel cut in. Aestroth frowned from both interruption and memory.

"At a terrible price. They're not alive, yet not dead anymore. Horrible, putrid, rotting corpses desperate and hungry for souls. Their smell can kill a normal human, and they can eat the souls of anything. Anything. You can live without your soul, but you'll just be an empty shell. Nothing but a waste of space. A lot of the Necroses' victims are torn to pieces, though, mostly by the newborn ones. See, these things multiply like rats." Aestroth paused. His past, a horrible, tragic piece not many knew about and here he was, spilling it to these boys.

"Well?" Berto pressed.

"Akhet had me killed. The Necrosis we first made were smart and wanted us, wanted our souls. She let them have me, I was sacrificed for the good of the future. She wrote a spell for the last Daughter of Anubis. We happen to believe it's Marquette. It'll only work with the help of the Shadow God, though."

"What does this have to do with us?" Kyle wondered. But it was beginnign to dawn in him. _Asheru._

"Her Shadow God is Asheru. Asheru is in Nefandus. Guess who are the only ones who can travel to Nefandus? Who know an inkling of their way around that place?"

"I get that, but why us? Catty..."

"If you help Marquette and Asheru, you have the power of my lord on your side. Also, the Atrox has some new pets. They are using the Necrosis, and they will suck the souls from you. I'm sure that's what the Inner Circle wants. To destroy the Legend of Four from ever comeing true."

"We should do it," Berto hurriedly said, finished witht he examination of the amulets, a light in his face as he looked up at the Shadow God.

"Berto, I hope this isn't because you have a crush on the girl. She already has a mate," Aestroth exasperated with teenaged boys.

Berto smirked, but the thought had crossed his mind. She was a babe, and feisty, and she had a destiny she was born into. It made her similar to him. Besides, he was lonely, considering the other guys. Samuel had Maddie, Obie had Allison, and Kyle had his goddess, despite their separation. So what if he had ulterior motives? A guy was allowed to live!

"I think we should, too," Samuel chimed in. Obie nodded his agreement.

Kyle sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I better tell Catty."

"No. Marquette stays here for however long it takes. You tell no one that she's here," the god ordered angrily, making sure his tone of voice got his point across.

"You want us to take care of her?!" Kyle exclaimed. His eyes flashed over to his brothers.

"Marquette will soon not need real care, but a place away from the Daughters of the Moon."

"Fine…We'll help her." Kyle didn't understand it, but he would help.

"Good." Aestroth placed his cloak back on. "Just let her sleep. Check in every once in a while. Don't wake her up for anything. I'm off." The god grinned and dissipated.

Kyle sighed and looked at the other three. "Do you guys think that when they thought of the Legend of Four, they included a half-dead goddess?"

"It's the right thing to do, Kyle," Obie said softly.

Kyle thought of her deathly palor and silently agreed. If any of the Daughters saw Marquette, they wouldn't know what to do. So, they would keep her for ever long she needed to stay.


	5. Repeated Dreams

Marquette was aware of the things around her. She wanted to get up, but her body and her mind just needed to reboot for the time being. She was aware of when she began to cry, and when the blonde would come in and cast a spell of tranquility over her that quelled her fears and sadness. She was aware of when the dark haired one came in to look at her--a girl who was dirty and barely dressed and in desperate need for a bath--and slipped her ankh and moon amulet back on. But she was most aware of the scene of her going to Tartarus passing over and over in her mind's eye. She saw herself push Kearney out the way, and she saw the horrified look on Ash's face as her soul mists struggled to get into Tartarus, dragging their host with them.

She began to cry again. It was that look on Ash's face when she was leaving that hurt the most. There was no hope in that look. She was a Daughter of the Moon. Wasn't she supposed to represent hope?! That's why Selene had sent her to Earth, to give people hope. She was _failing_ at it.

Her body flailed. Somewhere, she was having the nightmare. A constant reminder of being trapped in Tartarus…with all that screaming and death…the crazed souls… their wanting of her life…

The blonde came in; was Obie his name? He stood beside the bed and began writing symbols in the air. The writing circled the air once, and then descended upon her. Her body immediately stilled and she stopped crying. She tried to thank the rune master, but couldn't seem to find her voice.

Her body and mind calmed, and the nightmare was shuffled. It would come back, the memories too strong to withstand the tranquility spell Obie had cast for long. He looked down at her sympathetically before he walked out. She watched him with dark eyes, then looked back down at herself. It was strange, being outside her body, but the violent horrors she had been through would have tainted her soul. So, now she sat and waited.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Samuel looked up at Obie as he entered the kitchen. "She okay?"

Obie smirked and nodded. "For now. But she keeps breaking through it. I haven't slept in the three days she's been here."

Samuel leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at Obie through pale blue eyes. "Do you believe it was a mistake to accept the responsibility of caring for her?"

Obie immediately shook his head, his long blonde hair brushing his neck. "No. But I think it's time we broke Kyle's rule. We should let Berto dreamwalk her. He could help."

Samuel nodded his agreement. He couldn't understand why Kyle wouldn't let Berto dreamwalk Marquette. Samuel, Obie, and Berto all agreed that it would work so much better than the tranquility runes. She needed some peace before she ended up hurting herself.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette kept watch over herself, but saw the nightmares resurfacing. She shuddered and wished it would stop. She no longer wanted to see Ash's face. She had failed him.

She lowered her head and began to cry. She just kept failing people. She wrapped her arms around herself and cried until she felt sick. Her physical body shook with her sobs. This was awful, the disgusting feeling of self-pity. Just like when Aidrian and her parents died…

"So, want to tell me what's wrong?"

Marquette lifted her head and looked into the dark haired one's face. She wiped her eyes, dragging her hand along her cheek. She hated it when people saw her cry. She hated it more when people snuck up on her, physically or not.

"Why should I tell you?" She asked harshly.

"Well, you floating around here all day, you must get a little lonely." A smile flickered on his face. "Even I'm better than nothing, right?"

"You don't look like the type who'd go around trying to find out people's problems."

"You're right, I'm not. But you need help. I have a thing for damsels in distress. They call me Berto," Berto introduced.

"Where are you from?" Marquette asked curiously, looking him over, recognizing the past in his soul.

"The Toltec Nation."

She whistled, closing her eyes. "Wow. How does it feel to be a big part of history?"

"Now, or then?"

She remained quiet, looking down at her body. "Wake me up, Berto," she ordered. He looked in her eyes and saw the determination in them. There was no way he would say no to her.

She was alone then. It was time to return to her body. No more pitying herself, no more wailing and waiting. Ash was waiting for her, and she wasn't about to fail him for a third time.


	6. The Script and the Peeper

**AN: Okay, I've started work on Before, but it won't be up until after Princess of the Night is finished. And I must say, you fans will all be shocked at my incredibly evil genius. Anyways, also, I've been planning on the future Pearl Drops books, even though this is CotN, I'm going to end up mixing them together, so, one of the Daughters will be a Shadow Goddess, and Kearney and Marquette will be mentioned in the future books.**

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Hello, sweetheart."

Marquette glanced around, searching for the voice, or whomever was with the voice. Her white hair drifted around her, and her pale skin gleamed under her tattered dress. She felt different, not restored, but not as weak as she had been. As if just hearing the voice made her better.

"Over here," the voice called from in front of her.

Marquette turned her head to stare in the direction she was told. Her newer gray eyes locked with older dark violet ones. Before her stood a young woman, shorter than she was, but far more regal. Her long black hair was braided and flipped over her shoulder, gold trinkets weaved in the lustrous locks. A simple white dress clung to her body, and her dark skin was bright and beautiful under the paleness of the cloth. Marq knew she was in the presence of some goddess.

"Who are you?" Marquette asked, her eyes wide with awe, her voice soft with curiosity. She wanted to hug the woman and feel safe in her tiny arms.

"I am Rammelet, the original Shadow Goddess, and now part of the Dead," Rammelet introduced with a small incline of her head to Marquette.

"I don't understand."

"_Vos es Umbra Dea, Filia Nex_."

She translated the words in her mind. _You are a Shadow Goddess, a Daughter of Death._ She shook her head, slightly confused. Wasn't she a Daughter of Anubis?

"I will not explain to you your duties, for that is for the Sons, but I must give you this." Rammelet held out her graceful hand. A script appeared in it, the paper made of papyrus, the ink a dark red, as if blood.

Marquette shakily took the paper from the goddess' hand, staring at it hard. Unsure, confused. Her soul mists appeared, wrapping themselves around the paper. Rammelet smiled, a joy eminating from her eyes that Marquette was not sure of.

"My child, be careful with that. Guard it with your life. There are forces that will do anything for that script. If you ever need help, call on the Dead. We will help you."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette's eyes opened reluctantly, and she groaned. She licked her lips, looking up into four faces, faces and bodies ready for her to live. She spotted Kyle first.

"Kyle, is Kearney…" She stopped talking, not because she wanted to, but because her voice failed her. It was still scratchy and too soft, and her accent made it harder for _her_ to even hear her own words.

"She's fine. Last I heard, she went back to Ireland. Something to do with her mom, or something," Kyle replied.

"You hungry?" Berto asked.

She grinned, but stopped, her lips cracked and bleeding now from the stretched strain. "Double bacon cheeseburger, two large fries, milkshake. Chapstick." She then pulled at what remained of her "battle outfit". "Clothes?"

"Okay. We'll get you some stuff. You going to be fine by yourself?" Kyle wondered.

"Not…child," she muttered, frowning at him. She lay back, and closed her eyes. Hadn't she already said those words beofre? She wasn't dead! Or five!

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Berto leaned against the kitchen counter as the others left. He had volunteered to stay behind when they discussed someone having to stay with Marquette, to make sure she would be okay, even though it was a bit out of character for him (he thought he was, too), but there was something about Marquette he liked. The only thing that irked him was the look Kyle kept shooting at him.

It wasn't like he was trying to kill her...

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette stood up her, her arms spread wide for balance. It felt strange standing up, moving one foot and then another in a half walk, half shuffle, all pain and wobbling. Cautiously, she put her arms down to make sure that she was okay to stand on her own. Satisfied with that, she made her way to the door of the room she had been sleeping in, cluthing anything that she could to keep upright.

She needed to find a bathroom. She desperately needed a shower. Quietly, she hobbled to an open door and peered in. It wasn't lavish, like she remembered the bathroom at Aunt Celeste's was, but she was never one to be picky. For all purposes, this was the same bathroom the Queen of England herself used. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The tile was cold beneath her bare feet, but she didn't care. She took in a few deep breaths as she tried to stay awake. Her dress felt so heavy when she took it off, letting it fall to her feet with a plop. Her arms were too weak to care.

She turned on the spigot and finished stripping off the rest of what she wore. The water was burning hot and heavenly against her freezing skin. She lifted her face to the water as she turned the cold water on to mix with the hot. She scrubbed her body, relishing the feel of soap. This was heaven. Soap. Water. Shampoo. This was definitely turning out to be the best day of her life right now. She could feel the dirt and death fall from her body as she was cleansed and replenished, leaving little thought to what her dream of Rammelet had meant.

The doorknob turned, and the door opened swiftly. Berto stepped inside, pausing. Marquette scrubbed shampoo into her tangled hair, throwing it over her shoulder to get all the strands clean. He stood in the doorway calmly, watching her with his dark eyes. She looked up, feeling him there. Her own eyes widened, stunned, as she stood there unmoving, the water hitting her.


	7. Nourishment

Marquette swallowed and blushed. No guy had ever seen her naked before. Not that there had been a lot of guys in her life; the only guys she had been close with were Aidrian and Asheru, and she had failed them both. She fumbled to turn off the water, open the sliding door, and wrap a towel around herself without tripping and hurting herself, which would cause Berto to _help_ her. _While she was still naked._

Berto coughed and looked away, embarrassed as well. He hadn't thought she would be in the shower. Her cheeks were crimson as she stepped out, lunging for the towel.

"Clothes?" She asked, straining to raise her voice. _I need some clothes, you perv_, she thought annoyingly.

He eased his way out of the bathroom, annoyed. He couldn't help it if she was _naked_, or that she had gotten up to take a shower _on her own_. Maybe there was a reason he stayed away from relationships with girls around here.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Obie opened the door, bags in his hands, followed by Kyle and Samuel, and walked into the kitchen. They were surprised to see Marquette sitting there, her hair damp as she ran a brush through it, trying to restore it to an almost passable fashion. She was having with some trouble with knots, though.

"You're wearing my clothes," Samuel stated. She looked at him, her face contorted in frustration.

"Berto said that…you were the…smallest," she said. She went back to brushing her hair, furiously trying to get the brush through the tangled mess.

"We got your food." Kyle placed a bag in front of her.

The smell wafted up to her nose, the fragrance of cheese and meat and oil intensified by her senses. She dropped the brush with a hungry growl and ripped the bag open, tearing off the wrapper and attacking the double bacon cheeseburger with animal vigor. She scarfed down the fries, barely pausing to chew as she finished both cartons off in under two minutes.

Obie laughed. "And I'm the barbarian..."

She moaned with pleasure as she started on the milkshake, hugging the cup to her as if she were afraid they would confiscate it. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste and texture. "You have no idea how much I've missed food…"

"Didn't you eat when you were…" Samuel started to ask, but trailed off when she looked at him sharply.

She laughed huskily, and the four looked at her. "Haven't you heard about the food in the Underworld? If you eat it, you're trapped there. I would have ended up like Persephone!"

Berto sat down. "Persephone?"

"You know, the spring goddess, daughter of Zues and Demeter?" Kyle was the only one who didn't shake his head. "You see, Hades had come up from his kingdom to investigate. He was spotted by Aphrodite and her son, Eros. Aphrodite told her son to shoot Hades with his love arrows so that the next woman he saw would be the woman he would fall in love with.

"Well, Persephone was out in a field picking flowers when Hades came by…" She coughed and felt her throat tighten. Her eyes stung with tears. She knew she wasn't completely healed, but she was just way too stubborn to admit it.

"You can finish when you feel better, Marquette," Samuel told her. She nodded and tried not to smile, but as soon a sher throat cleared up, she finished the rest of the story, explaining to them how Hades would have kept her forever in the Underworld had she ever accepted his bribe of food.

Kyle reached into a bag and pulled out a tube of chapstick, passing it to her. She popped off the cap and spread it across her cracked lips with a joy only seen on Christmas Day, and you finally got that bike you've been dreaming of all year. He then passed her another bag. She looked inside, seeing clothes. She felt giddy with excitment.

"Thanks," she whispered. "But, can I get some more food?"

At that moment, her stomach growled loud enough to make them all chuckle.

Obie placed a plate in front of her, and Marquette nodded her thanks. Kyle grimaced.

"What is that?" He knew that somebody has actually _cooked_ it.

"It's food. Who cares?" Marquette stuffed a forkful of the stuff into her mouth. If she could have inhaled, she would have.

"See. She appreciates good cooking," Samuel bragged, puffing out his chest.

"Besides, Kyle, it's not your favorite," Obie teased.

"Although I would love to see Kyle's face when we tell him what Samuel made with his stew," Berto added, a broad grin on his face.

"What animal did you kill this time?" Kyle asked angrily.

Marquette blinked. "It's rat. And it's not bad. No diseases either, if you're worried about that." She shoveled another forkful down.

Kyle gave her a disgusted look. "Aren't you from this time period?"

"Unfortunately. But you have to remember, I'm also a shapeshifter. Don't you think that at one point that I would have eaten some strange object?"

Berto snickered. Kyle frowned and walked out of the kitchen. Marquette raised an eyebrow in question. Had she caused Kyle to leave?

"Don't worry about him," Obie reassured. "Kyle does that often."

"I never asked. Why am I here and not with the other Daughters?" She picked up her moon amulet, calming under its soothing weight.

The guys exchanged looks with each other. When they didn't immediately answer her, she began to worry. She didn't like that they weren't answering her. What had Aestroth told them?

"Please, tell me."

"Tomorrow," Berto informed. "You should finish eating, and then some sleep."

She frowned and slitted her eyes in a glare at the three. She finished the rat stew quickly and pushed out form the table. She picked up the bags and walked to the room she had been in.

**xXxXxXxXx**

She curled up under the blanket, pulling it tightly around her. She wanted to go home so bad, but she was still too weak. And she had a strong feeling that the four, the script, her being here, and Asheru all had something in common. If she wanted to get Ash back form Serene, she would stay. And they would help.

Her stomach growled hungrily at her again. She groaned inwardly. She figured she would never be satisfied food wise.

Her eyelids grew heavy as sleep neared. She had a sudden fear. Her nightmares might return. She didn't want to hear Serene's laugh, or see Ash's horrified expression. She tried to open her eyes again, but she lost this battle and drifted off.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Must you come and torture me further than you did earlier?" Marquette questioned, looking hard into Berto's dark eyes.

"I didn't even see anything," he stated, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Liar."

"It was only a peek," he revealed. She gave him a hard look, still doubting his confession. "You know, it's not like you don't have a nice body."

"A nice body! Look at me!" She exclaimed. "My skin is the color of milk, and I used to be as dark as you. I liked looking Egyptian. It made me feel good. Oh, and my hair? Pure white. It used to be the color of honey!"

"So, you are one of those girls who only cares about her looks?"

"No. Never. Give me baggy jeans and a beater, and I'm a very content girl. I just… I haven't been able to complain in a long time."

"You can't tell me you aren't obsessive over looks. Al women are conceited."

"Do I like looking like the goddess I am when I go dancing? Of course. But do girls normally have muscles like this?" She flexed her left arm, showing off her bicep.

His eyebrows lifted and he nodded his head in admiration. "Not bad. May I?"

She nodded. His fingers pressed firmly against the muscle on her arm. They made her arm break out in goose bumps and her body shiver. _No, this is just a dream and he is just dream walking me_, she yelled at herself.


	8. Answers

Marquette woke up in the morning, finding herself alone. Almost alone, anyway. As soon as she walked out of the room, she was bombarded by a scraggly coyote. She scratched behind his ears and ordered him to wait in the kitchen. Surprisingly, he listened to her. She smiled to herself as she slipped into the shower real quick.

As she looked down at the clothes the guys had gotten her, she had to admit they had good taste, but somehow it didn't feel right. She examined the low slung hiphuggers and wondered where they had gotten them at. The one thing they hadn't gotten her was a bra. She frowned. The only thing to do then was to see if any of the guys had a beater on them.

Yet, knowing guys, they most likely did. She stepped into the first room, looking around. _Men should definitely not live on their own_, she thought as she stepped over piles of mess to get to what she'd infer as a dresser. She pulled open the drawer and began sifting through boxers and white beaters. She needed a darker color. Black.

Once satisfied in her choice of clothes, Marquette went to the kitchen to satisfy her stomach. She wasn't going to admit to herself that she was both bored and lonely. Even when she began to clean up the place, she remained stubborn. She knew that it wasn't good to over exert herself, either.

_Stubborn, very stubborn._

She looked down at the coyote. _Yeah, it's kind of a curse._

_Just don't get yourself killed_, the coyote whispered.

_You're not the coyote, are you, Aestroth?_

The god chuckled and appeared behind her. "Can't put anything past you, _Umbra Dea_."

"What is it that you want from me?" Marquette fired her question with venom.

The god grinned but looked hurt at the same time. He pushed back his black hair. "Now, Marquette, I am quite hurt by the tone of your very simple question. I am, after all, looking out for you."

"What is this all about? You rescue me, but you take me here to where four Renegades live. I don't get it," she admitted. "I just don't get it."

"The Dead, your family, us other Shadow Gods and Goddesses, need your help," Aestroth informed.

"Rammelet…" She thought out loud.

"Yes, our older sister. There's also her mate, Ezraziel. Then you have yours truly and my mate, Akhet. There's also Asheru's original mate, Nafetki. The—"

"Wait! Back up!" She exclaimed. "Mate?"

"There are two children born that Anubis takes claim to, a boy and a girl. They are destined to become mates, and Shadows. If one dies, the other has a choice of death, or they can search for another Anubis Child, which is harder to find. Asheru had a predestined mate, but Jessimar captured his heart, and he was later imprisoned by the Atrox.

"Now, there is also your mate, Marquette. Aidrian was another Child, but other forces killed him. Why do you think you two were so attached?"

She was silent, as if she couldn't understand the information thrust at her. Finally, she found her voice. "Wait. I summoned Aidrian's spirit…" She trailed off at the sight of Aestroth's shaking head.

"You're not ready to summon a spirit and give it a physical form. The reason he obeyed you was because you were his mate. When he died, we were forced to have you and Asheru to come together."

"Why?"

"The thing that killed your parents and Aidrian was called a Necrosis. They are the Undead, and they are very much like the zombies from your movies. They like the taste of flesh and blood, but they steal souls. The only ones who can destroy them are the Shadow God and Goddess."

"Okay," she said," I get that. But why am I here? Catty can get me into Nefandus to rescue Asheru."

"No. The Daughters would just get in the way. They mustn't know that you are here!"

Marquette glared at Aestroth. "That's not fair! You expect me to stay here with four guys that probably don't even want me. I just want to go home, Aestroth."

"I know," the god stated. "But you have been through worse, Little Sister. Just do this, for us, for your sisters. That's all we are asking of you."

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly.

"Good, now I must be off. Keep that script hidden. The Necrosis are smarter than we believe. They've already begun their search."

**xXxXxXxXx**

Marquette's face rested in her hands as she, once again, tried to figure the mess that was her life out. She continued to fail at it, too.

"Selene, if you could brighten up the things I just don't understand about my darker, deader side, it would be appreciated."

"Who are you talking to?" Obie walked into the kitchen, iguana in hand.

"My Mother," she replied.

"What? No! No one—"

"—Is supposed to know I'm here. I meant Selene, the goddess of the moon. I could use her guidance right now."

"Are we that bad, Marquette?" He wondered.

"No, Obie. Not at all. I just need to be shown the light to wash away the darkness so I can think clearly," she explained. "I do, however, want to know why you guys didn't answer my questions last night."

"We agreed that you needed rest before we told you."

"We weren't sure of how you would react," Berto chimed in as he walked into the room after Obie.

She looked up at him and blushed. The feel of his fingers on her arm, dream or no, still gave her the chills. Good chills. She just didn't get it. She loved Ash. So why was she attracted to Berto?

"There's one thing Aestroth didn't tell me. Why are you guys willing to help me?"

"If we said because we wanted to help a beautiful woman, would you accept that?" Berto asked. Obie chuckled and gave her a hopeful look.

"You guys know something," she accused. "Tell me."

Berto sighed. "Why do you need to know?"

She exploded. "Stop playing games with me! Tell me what the Necrosis have to do with you!"

Kyle walked in and frowned. "Because the Atrox is using these creatures your fellow gods created. We need them out of the way, and you're the only one who can destroy them."

"How?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Kyle was quickly losing his patience.

She lowered her voice. "What happened to you, Kyle? You were different around Catty," she murmured.

"We're not together anymore," he spat out. Afterwards, he stomped out of the room.

"How much have I missed?" She whispered to herself, her voice heavy with unshed tears.

She got up and pushed past Samuel as he walked in, her tears welling up hot in her eyes. This was unfair! Just because of her stupid ancestor, her life was basically predetermined for her! So, the feelings she had for Aidrian, and the ones she now felt for Asheru, were they even real?

"You know, babe, this really isn't you," Aidrian laughed. She looked at him as he leaned against a wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. His grin was bright and friendly.

"I know. Guess Tartarus changed me," she said.

"No, Marquette. That is not the change Tartarus provided. You were supposed to be a darkly, humorous child." He frowned mockingly. "What went wrong with my perfect plan!"

She laughed. "Everything, jerk. So, how long have you known?"

"Since death, babe. About us, anyway. I've always known about being a Son of Anubis."

"So, you're here now because…?"

"I await your orders, Sir, Ma'am, Captain." He pushed two fingers to his brow in mock salute.

"You know where you have to go. Let Kearney know I'm alright."

"And protect the princess, right?" His eyes lit up strangely. The last time she had seen him, there was nothing in his eyes, but now gold speckled in the hazel.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest, like she used to when it was just them. He pet her hair softly and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"_Ego diligo vos_."

"Yeah, same here, Aidrian."

He faded out with a fizzle and a pop, so unlike Aestroth's quiet departure. She turned around, a feeling of tranquility calming her, like Obie's spell. Maybe Aidrian had calmed her. Maybe it was just so good to have been held. She wished he hadn't hurried and ran off to Kearney. The feelign of beeing watched forced her to turn on her heel.

She looked up at Berto. Why was he constantly following her?

"I'm not following you. This hallway happens to lead to my room. You wouldn't have been out here if another god wouldn't have bothered you."

She felt confused. Was he angry with her? She grimaced. Had he heard Aidrian tell her he loved her?

More importantly, why did she care?


	9. The Tides of Change

The school was alive with the buzz of a couple of kids who had zombied out the night before. Everyone was talking about how it was speculated that there were new drugs on the streets and how these kids had OD'd. Doctors didn't know how to cure them, and families grieved over their kids.

Of course, the moment Kyle heard that these kids had just conked out and stopped responding to the world, a cold fury grew within him. That wasn't some drug idiots were snorting or shooting or popping... It was the Necrosis, already making their kills.

Kyle remembered Aestroth's descriptions. hese were older, smarter. Bodies hadn't been ripped apart in search of the prized souls. Newborns didn't exist...

Yet.

He grit his teeth as some girls whispered about the two boys. Two kids who would now never recover, all because of some spoiled kids in the past. Where did they get off, thinking they could challenge the natural order even further than it was already challeneged by giving the dead _life_ again.

Kyle needed to get home, to Marquette. She needed to figure out how to stop this bloody warpath.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette's jaw hung open. The news was so much more violent than anything Hollywood could do _because it was utterly real_. They wouldn't show the bodies. The reporter looked struck dumb, though. Her face was blotched where it wasn't pale, and the poor woman's eyes had gone wide with a terror the public would never see. Her voice wavered. She didn't know how to deliver the news without her voice cracking, without her having to take deep breaths to calm her visibly shaking hands.

Marq was on the edge of the couch, willing the woman to hurry up and get out what she was trying to report. This woman lived and breathed Los Angeles! Surely one crime couldn't have shaken her so visibly.

But as the woman continued with her breaking story, Marq learned the cold facts that left her afraid. A body, found dead, horrible disfigured... As if eaten. There was no name for the victim. There were no suspects. There was only a frail body, left cold and ripped as if by a savage animal. A rabified animal. _Or a new born Necrosis._

What could she do? She was stuck in this damned apartment, waiting for eternity to find out whatever happened to that script that was going to save the world for these beasts. But they were loose already! They were sent out to destroy hope, the Atrox's game. The Daughters couldn't defeat them. How would they do it? They would be torn apart.

She was the world's only bet before too many people lost hope and were whisked away on a cloud of the Atrox's false promises.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

"This isn't good," Kyle said to her, his voice dark. He was scared. As he had every right to be.

Marquette shook her head. "All we know is that a few have had their souls sucked out. Only _one_ has been eaten, Kyle. The odds are still in our favor."

"But for how long, Marquette? How long do we have until they multiply even more? The city is in danger."

She frowned, looking away from him and his piercing gaze. He didn't need to tell her that. She already knew it! "I don't know what to do. It's not like I was born and all knowledge was given to me. It doesn't work that way, Kyle. It's... It's not time yet." That she knew, that she felt so deep within her.

"People are dying! And it's not _time_?" He looked disgusted with her, glaring at her with all the rage of an empty man.

Something snapped inside her, and her anger grew. "Don't treat me like shit because of what happened between you and Catty! I can't help not knowing anymore than I can help not being ready for this! I haven't even recovered yet, Kyle! I spent three month in literal Hell for me, and you expect me to be ready to go and fight a few zombies after a whole fucking _week_?! you've got nerve, you douche bag!"

Marquette stomped off, getting in the last word and leaving Kyle shocked and humbled by her outburst. She slammed into her room, frustration growing inside her. She wanted to destroy the monsters! She didn't want more people to die, and others to grieve! Still, he had no right treating her like she had better make things right or she would be hated.

Berto knocked softly on her door, hating to interrupt her internal tirade. She spun on his, fury in her stone eyes. "Hey..."

"What?" She grit her teeth, realizing she was taking her anger out on him, like Kyle was doing to her. "I mean..." She sighed deeply, sitting down on the corner of her bed. Her shoulders drooped. This was a lot.

"Don't worry about it. I, uh, heard your outburst," he said, trying to catch her eyes, but she wouldn't look at him. She just stared for eternity at the floor.

"Oh..."

"Kyle left. It's safe to leave the room."

Finally, agonizingly, she lifted her eyes to him. They connected and held and silence ensued for another minute as they watched each other. "I see.."

He walked into the room, sitting down next to her on the bed. They didn't have much contact outside of the nights when he dreamwalked her, but he felt this was important. She didn't tell him to go, so he stayed. She sighed deeply, leaning up against his side with abandonment. She needed comfort, kind words, a body to make her feel right.

"I'm scared, Berto. Scared I can't do this right. Scared that I'll fail, like I always do," she admitted to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and hugging him close to her. He let his arms do what felt natural, and he hugged her, much in the same way the god had held her the other day.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Marquette," he promised her softly, his words breathing into her white hair.

She didn't speak anymore; she couldn't find the words. No one had promised her anything like that before. She was supposed to be strong, taking charge and leading people to their dooms. Instead, she pulled her body closer to Berto, forcing him to lay down with her, their bodies entwined. It was nothing inappropriate, not in her mind, not in his. At this oment, they just needed each other more than ever.

That was when Marq began to have an inkling of how her life would change. Things had shifted, and she would always be connected with this man who smelled of dark things but held comfort in his whole being for her.


	10. With Serene

**AN: This is an extremely short chapter because I wanted to show a little of what was happening with Asheru. Okay? Okay.**

Asheru poured the tea into Serene's cup, his vision a little out of focus, his movements sluggish because of the drugs they forced into him. Amazing how a demon could still be drug-induced, but maybe that was because he was still a _servus_ underneath his glamour, a slave, a prisoner, and so the drugs still affected his system. He stepped back, standing behind his mistress. No one had come for him this time around.

Sometimes, he would see Marquette in his mind's eye just before she saved Kearney. She had turned to whisper that she loved him. And even though those words put joy into him, he also feared that she would come for him, and he would be her undoing. He loved Marquette, but she needed to know to not come here, if she ever returned. With a heavy heart, he tried to focus on her never actually returning to the physical world. No, his lord would rescue her. So, why hadn't he been rescued himself?

One of the _serva_ passed him, her fingers trailing across his bare stomach. She obviously liked him, but he didn't care. And she knew that he was the Mistress' favorite, and he was off limits. She could be killed for that lusting glint. But he did nothing. Let her come to her own demise without his help. In fact, she had a wonderful idea. If he could do something outrageous like that to get him destroyed, he would. Serene, on the other hand, would never allow for him to be killed. She thought of him as a prize in her jealous game between her sister. Yet, she didn't seem to understand that Marquette was not Jessimar. Not even Ash could tell the difference sometimes. They were so alike.

"Asheru?" Serene's voice was soft, like she was trying to imitate Jessimar's tone and warmth.

"Yes, Mistress Serene?" Asheru quickly stepped up to her side.

She looked up at him, her chestnut brown hair falling off her shoulders and down her back. He stared into her sky blue eyes and wondered when she had become so beautiful. She and her other sister, Helen, had been so much plainer compared to Jessimar. She stared at his bare chest, so dark, so smooth.

"I want you to kiss me," she whispered darkly.

He leaned down, covering her mouth with his fiercely. Where was this fierce desire coming from? She dug her fingernails into his back, and he groaned into her mouth with the pain. He pulled her closer to himself, his hands burying in her hair as their tongues flickered against each other.

Serene pulled back slightly, looking into Ash's gold on black eyes. "I want you, Ash. Don't you see? I can give you far more than that goody-goody moon child. I know you want me, too." She kissed his abs and waited.

"I'll stay, on one condition, Serene," he said, his breath catching in his throat.

"I won't touch Marquette or Kearney. But you're mine, forever. We'll be one for all eternity."

**Okay, I know what you're thinking. Why in hell is Asheru, our lovely demon, sleeping with Serene! Well, it's part of my lovely plot. You'll see why soon...**


	11. Dance Kiss Reality

**This chapter is called Dance, Kiss, Reality! The thing most likely won't let me put in commas and the exclamation point, and I wanted to get this point across.**

Marquette sighed, wondering how she had fallen for the guys' persuasions to take her out. It had been two weeks since she woke up, a week snce the reports of the Necrosis came flooding in, and they decided it was time that she left the house and had some fun. They had even gotten her make-up (with the help of Alison and Maddie, of course). All in all, it was really sweet, and she just couldn't resist and tell them no. Plus, the cabin fever had been settling in on her. She needed fun.

She glanced down at herself and smiled. She did look good. She especially liked the looks guys that Berto let in gave her. She had cut her hair, and now it lay in luminescent curls on her shoulders. She wore a black tube dress with knee-high black boots. Black crystals made swirls from her thighs to her knees and also dotted her shoulders and collarbone. Her amulets lay against her chest, the weight comforting and familiar. Smokey black eyeliner and eye shadow enveloped her eyes, darkening the gray even more. Stars dangled from her ears with black jewels in the middle, completing her shadowy look.

Kyle and Samuel moved into the club, leaving her alone with Berto and the crowd. Obie was already getting ready to go onstage with his band, and she was getting ready to go in and see him perform.

Berto grinned at the guy who slipped him the twenty and checked his clipboard. She walked up behind him, looking over his shoulder at the blank object. She smelled a mixture of body spray and aftershave on him, and she had to admit, he smelled great. He looked great with his diamond stud, slicked back hair, and all black clothes. To her, he always looked great.

The guy looked at Marquette and whistled. "Now that's a classy gal. My question is, why is she with you?"

She cocked an eyebrow at the guy. _That was low,_ she thought. She wrapped an arm around Berto's waist, leaning her body into his. He glanced down at her curiously.

"Why wouldn't I be with Berto?" She asked curiously, straining to make her voice innocent and seductive at the same time. She reached over with her other hand to swipe against his chest.

Even though Berto kept his cool, and gave the man a triumphant look as he opened the gate for him to pass through, his breath still caught in his throat at her touch. And she enjoyed hearing that.

"Come on, Marq. Let's go dance," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her inside of the club.

Obie was already onstage and had begun performing when they walked in. Berto pulled her onto the floor, squeezing them in with the other people. Lights flashed on them as the band dove head first into their music.

Berto's hand rested on her hip, his fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. Others turned to look at them, as if approving of them together, despite their vast differences. She smiled at him, a small one, and grabbed his other hand, placing it on her other hip. She lay her hands in the crook of his elbows, rubbing her thumbs across his skin as she let the music take over her body. This was when her animal side took over, when she wasn't herself anymore.

He moved with her, matching rhythm. Her body moved dangerously as she became the wicked goddess. Berto watched her closely, felt her transform in his hands. She moved closer to him, moving her body against his.

A girl slid in between them, shoving Marquette back. She stumbled, caught off balance, crashing into some guy behind her. The girl with blonde hair pushed up against Berto, placing his hands on her ass.

"Ashley," he hissed, "get away from me."

Arms wrapped around Marquette's waist, pulling he back against the body of someone. She tried to pull away, but it was to no avail.

"Hey, you freak, get awa—" She gasped, her eyes wide at the face of who was holding her. "Stanton!" Fury washed over her.

Stanton smiled down at her. "I've missed you, too, Marquette."

Berto looked over in time to see Marquette's mouth set in rage and a tall, blonde guy holding her. He pushed Ashley out the way at the same time as the guy and Marquette disappeared into a shadow. She had been kidnapped!

Berto growled and ran off to find her.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette glared out at the water, her mouth still pressed tightly together. Stanton picked up her thoughts of hate and rage and laughed. What do you want with me?" She asked through clenched teeth. She had only "met" Stanton once, but that one meeting went off the deep end. She really didn't like him, and the feeling was mutual on his behalf.

"To give you an opportunity, of course. Why, was there something else you wanted me to see you for?" He asked suggestively, his blue eyes looking her over. She blushed, but that wasn't exactly what she was asking about.

"N-no!" She stuttered and folded her arms over her chest angrily. Damn, cocky little bastard.

He laughed. "Look, I'm only here to give you some information. You know, between dark forces."

"I am not a dark force."

"Of course not. That's why you survived alive in Tartarus for three months and happen to be a goddess of death with powers to raise spirits at your will."

She paused, about to say something, but decided better of it. "What information?"

"This weekend would be the best time."

She groaned and shut her eyes, trying to calm herself. "The best time for what?" She opened her eyes to look at him. He wasn't there.

"You could have taken me home!" She yelled into the salty air.

"Which home, Marquette?" Berto appeared beside her.

_The one with Celeste,_ her mind screamed. No, that wasn't right. It was with the Sons of the Dark. That's what she felt.

"Berto, whatever attraction there is between us, it won't work. I already love someone," Marquette said. She looked at him, staring straight into his eyes.

"Yeah, so you tell me, so Aestroth tells me. Now, tell me this. Do you love him because you really love him, or because you are supposed to love him?"

"What? Of course it's because I love him. No one can tell you or decide for you!"

"What about Aidrian, then? How long after he died did you forget your feelings for him?"

_It was a week_, she remembered. That was strange, but Aidrian had been her chosen mate. Ash wasn't, and she loved him.

"Berto…Why is it hard for you to accept that I don't want to be with you?" she asked softly.

"Because I know you do. Why are you lying to yourself!"

"We'll never work! You even said so yourself that any girl from here that you kiss, you'll kill! And what happens when it's time for you to go home, to your own time?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, smearing her black make-up. Marquette turned away from him, hugging herself as she walked across the sand. Black mists shrouded her body, staying close, as if comforting her in her grief. Berto shook from anger. She was right, of course, but he didn't care. He ran after her, his shoes slipping over the golden sand.

"Marquette! Stop!" He grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

"What is it that you want?" She asked with a thick voice.

He leaned down so that his lips were against hers, but he didn't kiss her. "Only you."

She pressed her mouth against his, holding him against her by her fingers curling into his shirt. His hands grasped her upper arms, holding, _squeezing_, them tightly. She opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth.

She moaned and broke their searing kiss, falling against him, breathing hard. Her energy had suddenly been zapped from her, but it was so much unlike how she pulled energy away form her body to shapeshift. He held her tightly, whispering into her hair, "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "It's…It's okay."

"Let's get out of here," he suggested. She nodded her agreement softly, and he took her hand, leading her off the beach and towards his motorcycle.

He straddled the Yamaha and motioned for her to do the same. She hesitated slightly, biting her lip before following suit. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing up against his back.

"Let's go home," she said.

**AN: Five more chapters to go!**

**Thank you Demon Dea. **


	12. The Best Time

Marquette smiled to herself, no, she _grinned_, as she stared up at the ceiling. Her soul mists must have felt her giddiness because they leapt away from her body, interacting with each other, rushing to cling to her energy with a sort of high. They rubbed against her skin and made tiny noises opposite of those that she figured were shrieks. Giggles, maybe? Did her mood affect theirs?

She replayed her kiss with Berto over and over. It was, in all truth, her first real kiss. Yeah, she had kissed Aidrian on the lips, and her and Ash had shared a truly animal kiss, but nothing as tender, or as hot, or as fierce, as her kiss with Berto had been. She wondered at the different feelings she had gotten from that kiss. It made her head swim.

"Aestroth? Aestroth! Oh, how in hell do I summon you?"

Things were still eating at her terribly. The Necrosis. Stanton had showed her... Before the beach... The awful, gut-wrenching crucnh and tear and slurp... The cries of live people, their bodies being torn...

_Why couldn't she get the Dead to answer her?_

"Aestroth!" Still no answer. She punched her pillow in frustration.

Someone knocked on the door. "Marq, come on. It's time for breakfast."

She climbed out of bed, her bare feet touching the floor. Kyle's voice had sounded urgent. What had happened now? She wasn't sure if she could handle anymore now.

The guys looked up at her when she entered the kitchen. Only Berto seemed to have a friendly face. Barely.

"What's wrong?" Marquette immediately asked.

"An autopsy was performed on the bodies from the other night and the reports are in; the only thing they could find as a cause of death was a toxin clinging to the walls of their lungs," Kyle informed her.

"Do they know what it is?" They knew, but not others outside of their circle. The results of the autopsy could be disasterous.

"Not specifically, but it's associated with dead bodies," he said.

"So, the Necrosis…"

The four nodded at her.

"I looked into Tezcatlipoca's mirror last night," Berto said. "Marquette, you have something the creatures are looking for."

"Oh, great," Kyle muttered. "A god and something."

Samuel glared at Kyle. "If you would stop being so damn negative, maybe we could find something out." Kyle sighed and smirked.

"I don't have any…thing." A picture of Rammelet flashed in her mind.

"What is it, Marq?" Obie inquired.

"The night I woke…I was visited by one of the Dead, the original shadow Goddess. She gave me a…piece of papyrus paper. She told me to guard it with my life. But I don't know where it is," she whispered.

"What's so important about this paper, Berto?" Kyle asked.

"I couldn't see…" he admitted.

"Of course not," a girl said. "Why would we make it easy enough for anyone to know?"

Marquette looked at her. They were the same height and size. She was barefoot, with a long green skirt covering the tops of her feet and a long-sleeve, off shoulder white blouse loosely hanging on her torso. She was a brunette with dark green eyes and olive dark skin.

"Where's Aestroth?"

"He's busy. I'm Nafetki. You called, and I answered, Marquette." Her words and tone were sharp. She didn't like Marquette, and it was obvious.

Marquette glanced over at the four, then back at Nafetki. "The script Rammelet gave me, what is it?"

"Akhet wrote it, right before a few Necroses tore her apart. It's a way to destroy them. But you need the help of your shadow God."

"So, why can't she find it?" Berto pondered.

"That's easy. Your souls like to play. All spirits do. All you need to do is have them get it for you. Try yelling at them," Nafetki suggested, her smile full of malice. "Now, if that's all…" She disappeared in a flash, leaving a bad taste in everybody's mouths.

"Someone has a bad attitude," Obie muttered.

"What did you do to her, Marq?" Samuel asked.

"I stole her Shadow God."

They fell into silence. Her spirit mists squirmed, fleeing all over the place, unnerved by the Shadow Goddess's presence. Marquette looked down at them.

_Where's the paper? _

The shrieked and two jumped off, clinging to Obie. Obie looked at them curiously.

_Where's the paper!_

They surrounded her in a black haze, suffocating her, choking her.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_She was suspended in air, or was it air? She took in deep breaths. It was hard to breathe here. She became light headed and felt faint._

_A hand rested on her shoulder. She looked at the figure touching her. A jackal head stared back at her. Her eyes widened and she threw herself away from the creature, screaming. It looked at her queerly, like she was some kind of an idiot. It took a step towards her, and she scurried away._

If you keep screaming and running, you're going to pass out. And possibly die.

_Marquette stopped moving, sitting propped up on her hands. She stared at the creature with a jackal head and human body._

I'm not going to hurt you. I'm one of your soul mists.

_She blinked, but didn't take her eyes off of it. Her breathing became unbearably loud._

You brought yourself here. It is a part of your necromancy skills. This is one of the seven levels of the Underworld. This is where your soul mists reside in a physical form.

_It stepped over to her and held out a hand. She grabbed it, pulling herself up._

You can't speak because you are still existing, still alive. You're here because of the script my last mistress hid here, and you had us take once again after Rammelet gave it to you. The best time will be this weekend.

_She glanced around, her body shivering from the chills._

I'll bring the script to you. It's not safe for you to start walking far.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Berto laid her down gently on the bed. Obie frowned as he wrote another healing spell. Marquette still didn't wake.

"What happened to her, Kyle?" Samuel touched her pale arm and began to shiver at the clamminess of her skin.

"I don't know," Kyle admitted.

Berto looked at her, his mind in turmoil. She was just fine, and then she became blank, like she had left her body, and she had slumped to the kitchen floor. There was something wrong about this.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Marquette held the script in her hand, running her fingers over the blood ink. She raised her eyes to her soul mist's face, staring at the black fur of the jackal head._

I don't have a name. I can't exist as anything but mist outside of the Underworld.

_She pat him on the hand. She closed her eyes and brought her energy back into a physical form, script in hand._

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Her eyes opened, and she woke to the sounds pf arguing. She groaned loudly enough for the boys to hear her. "Okay, I understand that you guys have to fight, but please, there's enough testosterone floating around already."

"Marquette!" They exclaimed. She struggled to sit up, but fell back against her pillows miserably. She was weak from traveling into the Underworld.

"What happened to you?" Berto asked softly, sitting beside her.

She raised her hand, waving a piece of old paper wearily. "Looky at what I have, boys."

"Obie wrote another healing spell, and she felt the strength return to her as she sat up. She smiled her thanks to him.

"So, I hear Stanton came to see you," Kyle stated grimly. She bit her bottom lip at the tone of his voice.

"You need to stop getting pissy with me!" Marquette yelled. She was tired of Kyle treating her like a child. She was competent enough to live on her own.

"I'm just worried that Stanton will tell Serena, and Serena will tell the others."

"Stop worrying so much! Worry can be good, Kyle, but you're constantly overdoing it with your doubt and bad attitude. Why don't you trust your brothers, trust me?"

He looked down, and it seemed like he was going to leave again. He surprised everyone by staying put, shrugging to Marquette's question.

"Look, Stanton told me this weekend was the best time. I think he meant that it was the best time to get Asheru. I need someone to take me to Nefandus," Marquette informed them.

"Do we need to get him?" Berto asked.

She looked at him and nodded. "I need him. For destroying the Necrosis and for myself. I also have someone I need to get even with."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette read the script, or at least tried to decipher it. Her ancient Egyptian was either getting rusty, or Akhet had rushed through this.

It required blood, a lot of blood. _Leave it to a Death Goddess to think of that as a way to_, she thought with grim laughter. Further down she found an inscription to protect your soul. It would come in handy for when they all went to Nefandus.

Guilt wrung at her heart. She knew she hurt Berto with saying she needed Ash, but it was the truth. Whether her feelings for Ash were true or were implanted, she couldn't separate from him. And that hurt. There was far more than attraction between her and Berto.

Shaking her head, she went back to deciphering the script. One of her soul mists slid across the paper, and somehow she knew it was the one with the jackal head. It shrieked at her and slid back up her arm, disappearing into the mists. She leaned down to examine the paper closer. It was beginning to dissolve!

"This is not the best time," she muttered aloud.


	13. Moonless Sky

Kyle looked at the hieroglyphics on the paper, then touched the permanent marker to the bare skin of Marquette's stomach. She giggled at the soft, ticklish feeling, turning her head to stare at Kyle's paintings. Her stomach rippled, and Kyle scowled at her. She took a deep breath and Kyle resumed drawing the symbols of soul protection. She was the last one to get the spell done on her. When Kyle finished, she brought a knife to her hand, cut it, and smeared blood across the 'glyphics.

She looked up at the guys and knew they were ready.

"Look, you need to hold on to one of us, or you won't be able to see Nefandus," Kyle told her, standing up.

"I know. I'll be careful," Marquette replied.

"Your gift from Selene won't work, either. Maybe your necromancy, too."

She nodded and hugged Kyle. "Thanks." She hugged the others, suddenly afraid. The last time she battled with Serene, she had lost, and she had been with Kearney then.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Berto grabbed Marq's hand, ready to take her into Nefandus. Her hand was warm and sweaty; she was extremely worried. He squeezed it reassuringly and stepped through the wall.

Something thick clung to Marquette's face, and she began to choke. Berto pulled her with him, and the feeling soon passed as they stepped onto a darkened street. Chills passed through her body. This, this was Nefandus. She looked up at the sky, hoping to find comfort of the moon, but it was just a darkened sky. The Atrox wouldn't want the symbol of their enemy in the sky.

"Get out of here!" Samuel yelled.

They had been ambushed. Necroses and Regulators alike bore down on them. Her soul mists leapt from her hands and attacked the corpses and Regulators.

Marquette and Berto broke out in a run, following the other three boys. Their feet pounded on the sidewalks as they tried to out run the dead creatures.

_Marquette!_ Berto yelled in her mind.

_Yeah?_

_How will we find Asheru?_

Marquette stopped running, dropping Berto's hand. Mists surrounded her, and she couldn't see Nefandus anymore. Immediately, he grabbed her hand, and she could see the Necroses lumbering towards them.

"What are you doing, Marq?" Samuel whispered harshly.

"We can't run! These things are everywhere!"

Kyle watched the creatures. The flesh was purplish-blue and bloated, hanging off of the bones. Thick, gloppy blood fell from various wounds on their bodies. The eyes were entirely white, the mouth entirely too large, the walk extremely bow-legged. He fought the urge to puke. "She's right."

"What do we do then?" Obie asked no one in particular.

Marquette looked down at her arms where the souls buzzed with either excitement or fear. "I have an idea. But I'm going to need you three to keep those things away from me."

She didn't even wait for their answer. She closed her eyes, pulling her energy away from her, also pulling some from Berto and forming it into a ball, like she had when she first summoned Aidrian. She shaped it into different physical forms, and her souls leaped into them.

She passed out, exhausted. The creatures that her soul mists had become ran towards the Necroses, except for one. Berto cradled Marq, trying to wake her up. The creature touched her cheek and she roused.

"Help me up," she whispered. The creature with the jackal head grabbed her hand, standing her up. Surprisingly, she could still see Nefandus.

Berto watched it warily, unsure of how to take it. "What are they?"

"They're the physical forms of my soul mists. I figured I could summon them, seeing as how they attacked in mist form," she explained. She turned her attention back to the one who had helped her. "Your name is Umbra."

It nodded its head. It tugged on her hand, trying to pull her away. Umbra wanted her to come with it. _Maybe Umbra knows where Asheru is,_ she thought happily.

She turned her attention to Berto. He gave her a small smile. "I'm going with you, Marq."

She grabbed Berto's hand and ran after Umbra. "It's a…good…thing…I wore…sneak…ers!" She said through breaths. He nodded his agreement.

Umbra slowed suddenly, and the two crashed into it. It turned to look at its mistress as it made a connection. She continued to stare, but spoke to Berto.

"Umbra says that what we're looking for is in that house."

"What are we waiting for then?"

"Berto, I need you to go back. Kyle and the others need you. I have Umbra to help me."

"I'm not leaving you. What if you don't make it out?"

She kissed the open palm of his hand and grabbed Umbra's arm "Go. I'll make it out. I promise."

He looked as if he was going to kiss her, but he instead turned to shadow and drifted off.

Umbra tugged on her to get her attention. She looked at what he was pointing to, and she smiled with relief.

Asheru walked down to her, gathering her in his arms tightly. She held onto him, tears blurring her vision. He brushed her white hair away from her face, then leaned in to kiss her.

"You should not have come," he whispered to her. "You can't save me."

She stepped back, holding onto his arm, stunned. "Of course I can. Watch me."

"Marquette!" Serene exclaimed. "Come in, please. Oh, Ash, escort her in."

Marq felt sick to her stomach from the sweetness in Serene's voice. Ash gave her an apologetic look as he led her inside Serene's place. Umbra followed closed behind her; it would never fail in protecting her.

The house was, surprisingly, warm and friendly. That frightened her. It all frightened her, ever since Serena had told that she was a goddess. But this fear, this fear was different, and she just couldn't explain it.


	14. Binding

A fire roared loudly in the first room of the house. Serene sat at a round table, her chair facing Marquette. Marq looked around, admiring the ornate architecture of the room despite herself.

Serene twirled her brown hair around her finger. A simple red dress clung to her full-figured body, and gold glittered on her hands and around her neck. "Did you know, sister dear, that I was a _lecta_? The Atrox chose me! Me! But you and Maris ruined it for me. I had you in the palm of my hand with false promises of returning Asheru. You know what happened when they found out I lost you? They took my power away, and I became nothing more than a lowly Follower!"

She slammed her hands on the table, knocking over a teacup, causing Marquette to flinch. Serene had a lot of anger, and she had no real sense of reality anymore. She continued to confuse Jessimar with Marquette.

"But, it doesn't matter anymore, Jessi. I have your Egyptian lover, and you have no one!" She screeched a maniacal laugh, chilling even Umbra to the bone.

Marquette looked at Ash. "What is she talking about?"

"_Operor vos diligo mihi, meus Umbra Dea_?"

"Yes," she stated firmly.

"Destroy her, then," he said grimly.

Serene laughed and thrust her power at Marquette, throwing her back roughly. She opened her eyes to mists, lost from the world of Nefandus. She stood and spun, screaming loudly.

Asheru reached for her hand, clearing up her vision. She growled and tried to leap for Serene. Ash held her back.

"You're mine, Serene," Marquette growled, baring her teeth.

"You can't even move alone around here," Serene said with an air of victory. "How do you expect to get me?"

Marquette smiled cruelly. "Like this."

Umbra leapt for Serene, its jaws clamping down on her neck. She screamed and continuously thrust her power at it. She flailed wildly, trying to get the creature off of her. Blood pumped from the wound. Yet, despite this, she still laughed. Umbra moved off of her, squatting beside her.

"Fool…You really thought…I…I'd make it so…e…e…easy?"

Asheru sighed and stroked Marquette's cheek. "I love you, Marquette. I have to leave you, though."

"What? Why? She won't come back, I swear! The Necroses will take care of that." Marquette stared hard into his eyes.

Ash's eyes flickered to a lumbering corpse. It could smell the blood from Serene's wound. Marq knew that, and despite the fact that Serene was immortal, her soul could still be devoured. Marquette moved in front of Ash, shielding him from the monster, holding his hand tightly.

The Necrosis attacked Serene, and others soon followed. Her screams echoed in Marquette's ears as her soul was devoured; disgusting slurps from the creatures could be heard.

"Ash!" Marquette pulled him closer to her. "We need to destroy them!"

The demon glimmered slightly. "What do I do?"

She pulled out a blade from her pocket, cutting their palms, despite the risk of the monster corpses. Umbra would hold them off. She laced her fingers with his, holding their open wounds together. The blood swirled, mixing together. He tried to keep himself solid as they continued on with it. She whispered a prayer to Anubis and Selene for luck.

"I summon the Dead, guardians of the Children of Anubis, to assist us."

Aestroth appeared, smiling cockily next to her. Rammelet drifted in with Nefetki trailing her. "We are here to assist you, Shadow Goddess."

Blood formed a small puddle around Marq and Ash. "Creatures from blood arise, from our blood is your demise."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_The area shimmered, and Umbra stood with her. She was, again, in the first plane of the Underworld. The Dead who had answered her call hummed, caging the creatures with their necromancy. They looked at her, as if expecting something. She, in turn, looked at Umbra._

You have to bind them. Spin your energy with your blood and encircle them. We'll take care of the rest.

_She nodded stiffly. She was going to die. And it didn't frighten her. She closed her eyes, pulling the energy away from every limb, every muscle, every organ, and thinned it out. It coiled and stretched as it became a fine line. The blood from her hands dripped from the wounds on her palms, spreading onto her energy wire._

_Her soul mists clung to the wire, dragging it to the Necroses. She collapsed against Umbra, the feeling of death washing over her._

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Berto held onto Marquette. She was barely breathing now, and her skin was ice cold. Ash looked at her limp body sadly.

"Oh, Marquette. I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Obie looked up at him, hearing his apology. "Why do you keep glimmering?"

"My life was connected to Serene's. I am going to become one of the Dead," Ash said drily.

"Will she be alright?" Samuel asked.

Nafetki grabbed Asheru's hand and actually smiled. "She'll wake up soon. You better get out of here. And quick."

Berto cradled Marquette to his chest and turned to shadow. The others followed. They had to get out; Regulators were already swarming around.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette stirred as they neared the portal back to L.A. Her body bounced roughly as Berto ran past Regulators.

_This helpless thing is really starting to get on my nerves_, she thought wryly.

"Go, now!"

They ran into the portal as Medusa's Eye winked. The thick mist covered her face again. Maybe it was like a membrane of mucus. She tried to laugh, but instead began to choke. It was an eternity before they stepped into the daylight of Chinatown.

"Marquette!"

She looked up into the faces of her sisters, her friends. "_Filia Lunae_," she whispered with a grin happily spread on her face.

**Operor vos diligo mihi, meus Umbra Dea?- Do you love me, my Shadow Goddess?**


	15. Epilogue

"Ketti…" Aunt Celeste scooped her out of Berto's arms, cuddling her.

"Aunt Celeste!" Marquette cried, throwing her arms around the older woman's neck.

Celeste stroked Marquette's short, white hair. "Look at you, baby. A moon child through and through."

Marquette looked up at Serena. "Did you tell her?"

"No," Serena said.

"Catty? Vanessa?" Marquette paused. Things, people, _facts_, were missing.

Serena looked at the street. "Tianna's gone, Marq. Kearney's still in Ireland."

"What else? There's something you're hiding from her," Berto accused. She looked into his dark face, thanking him silently.

"Ketti, I'm not really you're aunt. Your parents weren't really your parents," Celeste said softly. "You're not really you."

"Who am I, then?" Suddenly, she was afraid again.

"You are Jessimar, reincarnated. The people that were your parents were really spirits that I had summoned. I think you might know my mate, Aestroth."

"Then…You're Akhet." Marquette's voice was soft and tired. She suddenly didn't worry or care about anything anymore, like the whole world had shifted off of her shoulders.

"And you fulfilled your destiny, little goddess. You're destroyed the creatures I've created, and for that, I can never thank you enough," Akhet said, smiling softly.

Marquette stood up straight. The guys moved to leave, but she stopped them with her soul mists. "Don't leave."

"We don't belong here," Kyle said to her, but he kept his eyes on Catty.

"You four are as much my family as the Daughters are. Please stay."

"Sorry, Marq," Obie said. "Come visit us sometime."

Her bottom lip trembled. "Berto…?"

_I'll see you in your dreams, my beautiful death goddess._

Vanessa hugged her first, and then Catty, and finally Serena. They squeezed her so tightly, she thought she would suffocate.

"You have to tell us everything," the blonde commanded.

"As long as you tell me everything." She paused and looked over at Akhet. "Are you going to stay, Celeste?"

She nodded and touched Marq's white hair. "We have much to talk about. Maybe we can give Umbra a physical form out here."

At the mention of the name, one soul mist began bouncing around. The girls giggled at it, and Umbra seemed to preen. Was it a possibility that Umbra was a guy?

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Marquette stood in front of the mirror in her room. _Her room._ But somehow, it just didn't feel right. She missed Samuel and his coyote, and Obie and his voice. She even missed Kyle, bad attitude and all. She mostly missed Berto, though.

She sighed deeply, knowing it could never work. She'd never get over Aidrian or Asheru, but there was another mate out there for her. Just like Berto had pointed out the other night when he had basically broke up with her. She knew he cared for her, but supposed this was for the best.

She touched her ankh, letting Umbra slip around on it and then the moon amulet. A knock at her door startled her out of her daydream. "Come in!" She called.

The door opened, and a red head stepped inside, her long skirt sweeping the floor. "I've missed you, Shadow."

Marquette spun around. Kearney stood before her, her green-and-blue eyes bright with tears. The girls hugged each other, clinging tightly.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Kearney took a sip of her Pepsi, then passed her cup to Aidrian, who took a sip. She wove her fingers with his, and he grinned. Marquette laughed, giving them a knowing look.

Aidrian watched her with close eyes. He could tell that his former mate was depressed. It was never entirely possible if an Anubis child could find a second mate, let alone a third. Her reached over, brushing his fingers across her hand. She smiled and squeezed his fingers.

"I'm sorry about your mother, Princess. How are your brothers doing?" Marquette asked.

"Better. John called me last night; he's engaged now. And Christian is taking over the family estate," Kearney replied.

"Did you tell them…about your parents?"

"It's bad enough that I know. What about you, Shadow? How are you holding up?"

Marquette shoved a fry into her mouth, thinking over the question. "I'm good, considering. I've been making progress with Umbra and Akhet."

Kearney grabbed her friend's hands, staring into her dark gray eyes. This was her best friend, and she was in such awful pain. Anyone could see that. She had wished she was there for Marquette when Marq needed her the most.

Aidrian put his own hands over theirs. "Come on, you bunch of saps. We're supposed to meet the others at Planet Bang. And I know how long it takes for you two to get ready."

Marquette grinned and scooted out, standing up. She bumped into someone, knocking him over. She gasped and squatted down.

"Oh, God. Are you okay?" She asked, mortified and embarrassed.

"No permanent damage," he replied, shielding his eyes to look at her. He smiled, showing off perfect white teeth. "I'm Evan Michaels."

"Marquette Leslos."

"That's a beautiful name."

She stared at him. Evan's hair was a dark brown, kind of long and curly. His eyes reminded her of Hershey's chocolate, they were so soft and warm. He had a nice tan, and it was obvious her was showing it off with his beater on. On his right arm was a tribal tattoo, right where his nice bicep was. And the best thing of all about him was the ankh around his neck.

"Hey, are you into Egyptian mythology?" She inquired curiously.

"Yeah, I love it."

Marq glanced up and saw Aestroth with another guy she could only assume was Ezraziel. She lifted her hand in a slight wave.

Aidrian pulled her ear. "Come on, Marq."

"Hey, Evan, can I ask another question?"

"Sure."

"Do you like dancing?"

**Well, that's the end of Legend of Shadow Goddess. Stay tuned to read the next installment of the CotN, Princess of Darkness, Kearney's own little tale of danger, romance, and destiny. Oh, and for all those who don't know, Akhet means soul in Egyptian. Lol. That's a little interesting, huh? Well, talk to ya'll soon.**


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